Pastor Randal Bruno in the Sunday morning message at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Runge compared two very different philosophers. The two were Frederich Nietzsche and Reinhold Niebuhr. Nietzsche, born in 1844 in Germany, disliked God and declared that God is dead and he and his followers were the forerunners of the movement of society away from God. Sadly, Nietzsche's views are still taught in many universities and accepted in society today. Reinhold Niebuhr, born in 1892 in America, was the counter to Nietzsche in that he wrote that God was very much alive and well and working in the world.

Pastor Bruno went on to explain the Gospel lesson taken from John 21 verses 1-19. Some of the disciples were out fishing and not catching anything when Jesus appeared on the shore and told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. This was the third appearance of Jesus to the disciples after the resurrection and the disciples had not recognized Jesus. (It is curious that they had gone back to their former jobs and not done as Jesus had told them to do to go out into the world and spread the good news.) The disciples cast their nets on the right side of the boat and their nets were filled with 153 fish. The harvest was plentiful when God is involved. The disciples had been with Jesus for three years and now they had forgotten so quickly what they were to do. Do we deny him when we go out in the world? Jesus had told the disciples as well as his followers that we are to be fishers of men and the Holy Spirit will guide us in doing just that. We are to love and tend to people in the fold and be Christians out in the world. We are to "feed my lambs".

Our call is to work with God. Our motivation is the love, joy, peace, compassion, and more that God puts in our hearts, which then "compel us" (see 2 Corinthians 5:14) to care for others and see them reconciled to God.

You may be familiar with the serenity prayer which Reinhold Niebuhr wrote: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen"

Worship services at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Runge are at 8:30 a.m. Sunday mornings with Adult Bible study of Revelation and children's Sunday school following. Third Thursday Fellowship meets at 12:30 on Thursday, April 18 at the church for lunch and fellowship. Everyone and especially senior citizens are invited to "It's a Fiesta!". Call 239-4311 if you would like a free Bible.